Kniphofia plant named ‘Pineapple Popsicle’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Kniphofia  plant characterized by very early blooming, repeat blooming from May through September in Canby, Oreg., compact habit with multiple crowns, yellow buds to cream colored flowers, narrow, grassy leaves, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Kniphofia spp.

Cultivar designation: ‘Pineapple Popsicle’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Kniphofia, and giventhe cultivar name is ‘Pineapple Popsicle’. Kniphofia is in the familyAsphodelaceae. Kniphofia ‘Pineapple Popsicle’ is a hybrid resulting froma planned breeding program to produce compact, reblooming Kniphofia. Thecross was made using the following proprietary, unreleased plants:Kniphofia 9-1, as the seed parent, and Kniphofia 9-3, as the pollenparent. It was selected for best habit, flower color, reblooming, andcrown count from many seedlings in Canby, Oreg.

Compared to Kniphofia ‘Little Maid’, an unpatented plant, the newcultivar is longer blooming, more free flowering, and more vigorous.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is unique and characterized by:

-   -   1. very early blooming (flowers the first year in 30 cell plugs)    -   2. repeat blooming from May through September in Canby, Oreg.    -   3. compact habit with multiple crowns    -   4. narrow, grassy leaves    -   5. cream to yellow flowers    -   6. excellent vigor

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division, tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the new cultivar. Asexual propagation by leafcuttings, tissue culture, and division using standard techniques as donein Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics anddistinctions come true to form and are established and transmittedthrough succeeding propagations. The present invention has not beenevaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype mayvary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype ofthe plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows a plant of a one-year-old Kniphofia ‘PineapplePopsicle’ in the ground in the trial in September in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Kniphofia cultivarbased on observations one-year-old specimens grown outside in the trialgarden in full sun in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all basedon The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Rhizomatous herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.        -   Size.—Grows to 45 cm wide and 44 cm tall from the top of the            soil to the top of the foliage.        -   Crown number.—20. Form — upright and clumping.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Strap-like.        -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 50 cm long and 16 mm wide.        -   Margins.—Scabrous.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Clasping.        -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both surfaces.        -   Venation.—Parallel.        -   Color.—Top and bottom side Green 137A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Spike-like scapose raceme.        -   Number of flowers per raceme.—About 100.        -   Inflorescence.—17 cm long and 5 cm wide.        -   Peduncle description.—Grows to 41 cm long and 8 mm wide,            glabrous, Yellow Green 146A, tinted Brown 200A.        -   Pedicle description.—1.5 mm long, glabrous, Yellow Green            146C.        -   Bloom time.—June to October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Lastingness.—An inflorescence lasts for 2 to 4 weeks            depending on the temperatures.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—25 mm long and 6 mm wide.        -   Shape.—Cylindrical.        -   Surface texture.—Glabrous.        -   Color.—Younger buds Yellow 8C, older buds Yellow 4D.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Actinomorphic.        -   Shape.—Cylindrical and tubular.        -   Size.—Grows to 30 mm deep and 10 mm wide.        -   Texture.—Waxy.        -   Surface texture.—Glabrous inside and outside.        -   Color.—Inside and out: Yellow Green 150D with veins Yellow            Green 150C.        -   Corolla description.—6 lobed fused tepals, 27 mm long and 10            mm wide, tube 23 mm long and 7 mm wide, lobes each 3 mm wide            and 3.5 mm long, ovate, entire, obtuse to acute, glabrous            and Yellow Green 150D with veins Yellow Green 150C inside            and out.        -   Pistil description.—One, 27 mm long, ovary 3 mm long 2 mm            wide, Yellow Green 144A, style 24 mm long, Yellow Green 150C            on bottom half to Greyed Orange 164B on top half, stigma            White 155A.        -   Stamen.—6, 32 mm long, filaments 30.5 mm long, and White            155A, anthers 1.5 mm long and Yellow Orange 16A, pollen            Yellow 8B.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Fruit and seed: None seen.-   Pest and diseases: Pests and diseases are infrequent on Kniphofia    spp. No problems have been observed on this plant grown under    commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.

1. A new and distinct Kniphofia plant as herein shown and described.